Recently, I received a copy of The Bullywol
Visitor,
by author Cardigan Broadmoor. Described as a “Not for Children’s Book” (I’m not
entirely certain what that means), it follows the strange intergalactic misadventures
of Father Amblinsnow, an immortal being and sole inhabitant of Planet Fryng who,
after eventually tiring of his days on his snowy homeworld, flies off into
space. Encountering ancient mystical stars that teach him the knowledge of the
universe (do I detect a hint of Lovecraft?), he then goes to the Moon where he
is attacked by a Wild Wumpus (?) and finally journeys down to Earth where he
lands in the Bullywol Mountains. I won’t say anymore for fear of spoiling the
book.
I
must say, I found this to be quite the charming read. Whereas most books aimed
for children are fairly inspid and full of nothing but rainbows and smiles, not
a hint of darkness to be found. Blech. However, in the tradition of Roald Dahl,
The Bullywol Visitor doesn’t shy away
from the darker, stranger elements of its quirky story. The artwork, drawn by
Broadmoor, is reminiscent of Edward Gorey, albeit with a slightly Nordic/Pagan
feel to it, which is only appropriate, as Broadmoor describes the concept of
book (the first in a planned series) as creating a spookier, more Pagan version
of Santa Claus/Father Christmas (the original title of the book was “The Spooky
Christmas”). Orginally going to be one big book, he decided to split it up to
multiple entries in a series. Says Broadmoor about his creation,
“Father Amblisnow is not really good or evil,
as those orientations are generally perceived. He is a force of nature to
be feared and respected. Like the 'Little People' of Irish folklore, his
disposition towards you largely depends on your actions towards him; whatever
way you treat him, he will treat you back thricefold. And even so, there is
still a good chance his actions will be totally erratic. Remember, he is
an immortal only child and not at all used to sharing or being told what to do!”
Broadmoor says that other projects he has in the works include the next volumes
of the Father Amblinshow series, a semi-autobiographical novel, a faux
behind-the-scenes tell-all book about a fictional Giallo filmmaker, and a radio play about a noir detective with an
eating disorder.
I for one am looking forward to seeing the rest in
the series, and I think this would make a book for young horror fans to read
around Xmas.
HalloweeNut's Verdict:
4 out of 4 Skulls
This sounds good!
ReplyDeleteExcellent
ReplyDeleteEdward Gorey has been on the tip of my tongue since first reading the book! Thank you for saying it. I completely agree with this review. Mr.Broadmoor need to hurry up and release the next book in the series.
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